Development Commissioner has no information about Garib Kalyan Mela

2 Dec, 2012

Garib Kalyan Mela is a programme for upliftment of downtrodden people initiated by the government of Gujarat. It aimed at providing assistance worth Rs. 7,900 crore to 57 lakh families as a part of anti-poverty drive.

The government had published advertisement regarding the achievement of the government in this scheme in January, 2012 following which an application was filed with the Chief Minister’s Office (CMO) under the Right to Information (RTI) Act seeking the details of the beneficiaries under the programme. The CMO forwarded this application to departments of Panchayat & Rural Housing Development and Women & Child Development from where it reached the office of the development commissioner.

In the reply, the office of Development Commissioner of Gujarat has admitted that it is unaware of the details of monetary assistance provided to families under different schemes of Garib Kalyan Mela as it was not organized by the development commissioner.